BOZEMAN – Polar jet stream is paving the way for numerous storms systems to pass through Montana that began back on Friday, continued Sunday and Monday, and now a 3rd system will arrive Wednesday.
The first two systems produced widespread rain for SW Montana and now we are above normal with month-to-date precipitation. This wet weather was great timing helping to ease fire conditions and greatly slow down current wildfires.
The National Weather Service is reporting rainfall amounts over 3” in NW Montana around Flathead Lake Sunday into Monday.
Most of SW Montana picked up a quarter of an inch to a little over an inch.
THE NEXT WEATHER MAKER
The next upper-level Low will begin to dig into the Pacific NW Tuesday and roll up into Montana by Wednesday. This 3rd system will keep temperatures running well below normal for mid-September and will also lower snow levels down to 7,000’.
Ahead of this next weather maker a few isolated thunderstorms will develop Tuesday afternoon.
Upper level Low will lift up into SW Montana Wednesday morning and the wrap around moisture bands could produce areas of heavy rain for central and eastern counties of Montana.
Snow is possible for the Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness areas and possibly inside Yellowstone National Park with a few higher mountain peaks in SW Montana could be dusted with snow by Wednesday.
The National Weather Service issued a FLOOD WATCH for NE Montana Wednesday morning through Thursday afternoon. This means there is a good chance for flooding especially on smaller streams and creeks, water over roadways, clogged culverts, and back-country dirt roads could become impassable
IMPROVING PATTERN
Beginning Thursday the weather pattern should begin to return to a near normal mid-September look and feel with warming temperatures and dryer weather heading into the up coming weekend.
